pepperknit

We here at Pepperknit strive to serve the public. So as of tonight, you can download the pdf patterns for the Anastasia Socks or the Zokni Socks all by yourself! No more middleman (i.e., me). No extra step. A loss of personal touch, of course, but you can send me an email (mintyfreshflavor at gmail dot com) to say hi if you want. Any time.

One HUGE, ENORMOUS, I-cannot-stress-this-enough reason I got the patterns up and ready to go was the HUGE, ENORMOUS I-cannot-believe-I-did-this error that Laura found. I had the wrong number of stitches in my chart! Purely an oversight, but a pretty bad one. The file that is on the site is correct and updated as of this evening–please download it to replace the file I emailed you, if you already have the pattern. Thanks so much for mentioning it, Laura!

Many thanks to Jeanie for pointing out an omission from the Anastasia Socks pattern.

When working the pattern from the chart, odd-numbered rows are knit.

And I just noticed this, which I will also fix.
Under “Heel,” it has directions for dealing with the instep versus the heel stitches, but the text is leftover from the Zokni socks (top-down socks, not toe-up), and actually makes no sense whatsoever, though you would probably figure it out. It should say:

If using Magic Loop or two circulars, needle 1 will have the instep and needle 2 will have the heel stitches. If working on dpns, rearrange the stitches so that the heel stitches are all on one needle. Put instep stitches onto another needle or waste yarn while working the heel.

The pattern file will be updated; if you received the pattern on or before July 19, 2006, the pdf is missing this information. If you would like a new copy of the pattern, just let me know. It will be ready tonight.

I’d, uh, well, actually, um, I’d have a pair of socks. Anastasia Socks, that is.

When the Amazing Lace administrators posted asking us to come up with what our projects would be if cast off right then, the only thing I had left to do with these socks was decide on a cast-off.

So I did, and used the oft-recommended Elizabeth Zimmerman sewn cast-off. Conveniently, Knitty just came out with directions, so you can easily find directions to do it yourself. I had never used it before, but I’m convinced: It, quite simply, rocks. Stretchy, easy, looks good—awesome.

These socks, as I’ve said, are intended as a Christmas present for the boy’s eldest sister, whose middle name is Anastasia. But I’m also a huge Anastasia Krupnik fan, so they’re also an homage to that brilliant children’s series of books. The socks are also my first completed pair for the official Summer of Socks (though for my personal summer of socks they’re pair #3).

The pattern for these bad boys is available via an emailed pdf. E-mail me (mintyfreshflavor AT gmail), and I’ll send it to you! (It’s ready!) Specify the pattern name (or describe the socks) so I don’t send you the Zokni pattern by mistake!

Some additional down ‘n’ dirty details:
Yarn: Koigu KPPM
Skeins: 2
Needles: 2.5 mm Addi Turbos
Started: Wednesday, June 21
Finished: Wednesday, July 5 (? I think. I can’t remember at all. It was last week.)
Basic details: Toe-up socks using a short-row heel. I mirrored the pattern so that the two coordinated but weren’t exact matches.

I’d hoped to cast all of my Amazing Lace posts as Amazing Race posts, as I’ve done before, but I’m sorry, I just lost some steam and it didn’t make much sense with either this challenge or the poetry one (which, you’ll notice, I opted out of!). So in the end I couldn’t keep it up the whole time, which is too bad because they were fun to write.

Color variance from Sunday is due to the time of day, not the yarn.

Redoing the socks was an excellent decision. I reduced the number of stitches, which makes the pattern open up more, I nixed the pattern into the toe, and I cleaned up the cuff. I tried to use up an entire skein, but I still have a few rows’ worth leftover, so I’m going to take out the cuff and lengthen the socks a bit, but I’ve already started the second sock. I’m thrilled with the way the first sock has turned out. Now to obsess over left-leaning decreases again. I know I did a whole lot of experimenting before, but for this yarn and this pattern it’s worth revisiting. (Plus I need to try the slip 1, knit 1, psso variation.)

A detour is a choice between two tasks, each with its own pros and cons. In this Detour, teams must decide between two grueling choices: Frog It, or Knit It?

In Frog It, teams will take out the single sock (Minty-titled “Anastasia sock”)* they’ve completed.

From here, teams will start over, using the same essential stitch pattern (Digaonal Faggoting Stripes) but reducing the number of stitches around and finessing the cuff a bit more. Teams will have to decide whether to keep the detail of the pattern extending into the toe area or not. This decision could be anguishing, because it means about 3 days of work gone, but in the end it could lead to a more satisfied recipient, and team.

In Knit It, teams say “screw it” and start on the second sock, mirroring the pattern in the first sock and not worrying at it too much.

Which do YOU think Minty will choose?

“Sigh. The perfectionist in me needs to frog this. I hate the idea of it, but I wouldn’t feel right giving these as a gift. The boy says that my obsessing over this one sock is reaching masochistic levels; I’ve taken it out twice before but had never gotten this far. But it’s just not sitting well. Something ain’t right with this sock, and it’s going to need some work.”

“If it doesn’t feel right, you shouldn’t force it. There really are issues with these socks. 1) The stitch pattern doesn’t really show up unless the socks are stretched more. You did a good job figuring out your gauge and matching it to the recipient’s size (8, not Minty’s shoe size actually), and it fits nicely, but you really do need to make it smaller to show it off in its best light. That’s hard to assess, considering you wear a 7.5, so the sock should feel just a wee bit big anyway. 2) The extension of the pattern into the toe is a sweet little detail, but it may lead to more wear, with toes catching on the holes, etc. It might be more impractical than necessary. 3) And the k1p1 rib, well, to be honest, kind of looks like ass. 4) I won’t even point out the craptastic castoff you did. Bottom line: You can do better.”

“I guess the answer is clear. I’ll start over with the other ball of yarn, though, because that way I can do a side-by-side comparison and decide which really is better. I’m still happy with the stitch I chose, and I think it’s a good one for vareigated yarn, because it has fairly wide expanses of stockinette. I hate when lace gets lost in the vareigations. Plus, it’s not really such a heartbreak to have more time to knit with this Koigu, which really feels so lovely.”

*Definitely inspired by the Mata Hari socks, with their spiral of eyelets, but still a Minty creation, such as they are, going toe-up, using a short-row toe and short-row heel. I like the continuous double line of holes, plus the texture that the k2togs creates.

Starting a few weeks ago, I declared it the Summer of Sparkling Wine, and now whenever we go out for drinks, I order a glass of sparkling wine (preferably not champagne). It’s fun to be handed a delicate flute of a bubbling beverage. I feel so refined. I should point out that the Summer of Sparkling Wine really only applies at the more sophisticated establishments we tend to frequent; not the neighborhood bar.

Separately, it’s also the Summer of Socks, and though the drinking has been going on for a few months now (uh, I should check the calendar more closely), the Summer of Socks only officially begins today.

And it’s about damn time, too, because I finished those socks for dad on Friday and I’ve been itching to start another pair! This pair will be for my boyfriend’s sister, and won’t be given to her until Christmas (but don’t worry, she and I wear the same size shoe so I can easily model them!). I’m calling them Anastasia Socks, in honor of the recipient’s middle name, but also because, well, who doesn’t want to give Anastasia Krupnik a little shout out, even if it’s completely unrelated?

The yarn is this:

My first Koigu! I did a little swatch and it’s heavenly, just heavenly. I like the rainbow of colors quite a lot, too. The actual effect is much more pink/purple, less blue than this picture might indicate.

I’m off to cast on for real; progress shots, hopefully, later this week. I’m making the pattern up, too, and though I’ve done some sketching and some charting, I’m not confident about the exact number of stitches I want to cast on, so this may require some frogging.